Taurus 856 3" .38 Special Revolver - Unboxing Again *Replacement*

Taurus 856 3" barrel .38 Special+P revolver that Taurus replaced due to not being able to fix my original one. Always appreciative of any channel help :) www.patreon.co...

[@GunSam]

I forgot to mention that whoever I talked to at Taurus for the first few times the 856 went back for repairs, told me I was "short-stroking" the trigger based on a video I sent them of the cylinder not rotating. This person said they also showed the video I sent them to the gunsmith who agreed I was short-stroking the trigger. I told them I am aware of what this phenomenon is, but I have many other revolvers that I don't have that 'problem' with. I also asked how it was possible that I was pulling the trigger, causing the hammer to fully go to the rear and then drop over and over again if I was short stroking the trigger. I don't recall getting a response to that question. Statements this ridiculous really shows how little the people working there or even their gunsmith know about their own product.

[@FoulPet]

You would think if you do a lot of business with your FFL. They would cut you some slack.

[@GunSam]

@@FoulPet I do a lot of business there lol. Even ran into some guy shopping there like "omg it's you" based on YT lol, but the employees really don't know me despite buying about 40 handguns there in the past 14 years. I really like this store, it's a two store "chain" and that's it. Everything in it is top quality American made stuff, about the size of a small Walmart but privately owned. Anywho, I really like the store so much that in a way I don't mind the fee because they are on top of everything, like full service we gonna make you happy type store, and their fees are set. I buy a lot of primers there which are available now so I should just be happy.

[@robertlipsey6056]

@@GunSam You can find primers now locally?

[@joshbonds3599]

Jesus Christ that's been an ordeal just get a NEW gun running. I've been considering getting a full size budget .38 special, possibly a Taurus 85. This has me completely rethinking that idea. Have you had any experience with the Armscor M200 or EAA Windicator? I've heard about the M200 having bad main springs and MIM transfer bars.

[@GunSam]

@@robertlipsey6056 yes. Saw basically everything, small pistol or large pistol CCI am Remington. Rifle primers etc

[@John-km7ld]

I bought a taurus model 65 a month ago have 200 rnds and no problems yet and very accurate and I'm not a fan boy of any brand just want a reliable product. With that said i had a ruger revolver that the screws would constantly loosen after shooting it, and a ruger 9mm that the trigger just basically broke internally and had to send back to ruger. Point is all mechanical things can have issues as we all know, but a company has no excuse for poor QC

[@gbennett2889]

I’ve had the exact revolver for about a month and have put around 250 rounds through it. So far so good!!!

[@OldMusicFan83]

Same

[@myrtlelittle4130]

Me too. Squirrely hand loads can make any firearm or shooter look bad. He should put it in a vise with factory loads.

[@OldMusicFan83]

My 856 has been flawless. Accurate and reliable. I’m sorry you have had this issue

[@randycchavez]

I think that's what drives Taurus owners bonkers, is some people don't seem to have any issues whatsoever and then there's people like Sam and myself that had issues right out of the box, argh. Now that my 2" & 3" have been repaired by Taurus, they shoot great. My 2" 605 is my CCW.

[@notubenick]

@@randycchavez " My 2" 605 is my CCW." What...? You must be have "balls" saying this on youtube. 99% say taurus is garbage, my taurus, rossi(made in Brazil) and heritage(made in USA) are fine, so we must bet very lucky,....or....not stupid for paying 2 to 3 time as much. My EDC I used to be the PT 111 and now the G3C. Sure they have problems but not 99%.

[@nowhereman108]

Your story regarding all that you went thru with Taurus makes me want to stay far away from them as a company. Jeez. 4 times? They should have been able to see the problem the first time.

[@NoNeedForSensorsOnYouTube]

They make really good pistols. The problem is the terrible pay they give their employees and quality control is the first to suffer. Edit: I own 4 Taurus pistols and they've all functioned flawlessly since I bought them. I do not however have a revolver of theirs.

[@taasch2505]

@@NoNeedForSensorsOnKZbin how else are they going to churn out those gun at those prices with American labor costs? Look my wife works at Macy's. The pay per employee went up. Guess what? Her store had to cut 22 jobs as a result. Idk what people expect? Many companies haven't recovered from the 2 year lock downs. Her store isn't projected to break even for another year when factoring in losses. The economy just sucks, materials are scarce, and we got a demented buffoon for a "president". This is the result of it all.

[@Kyle-vb3fz]

@@NoNeedForSensorsOnKZbin Well said. I’ve owned a Taurus 85 and now have the 856 2 inch, and neither have ever had any issues. It’s my bedside gun.

[@johninphx9360]

I had same issue of free spin cylender...I'll never buy a Taurus again.

[@Wildwestwrangler]

​@@johninphx9360don't be so down on Taurus. I just had a Ruger sp101 that was a hot mess!!! Trigger was grinding and wouldn't return and the barrel was straight but angled to the right, and canted.

[@stuartstuart866]

I bought a Taurus TX22 because of all the positive reviews. I wasn’t so lucky, having jamming and stovepiping issues . I sent the TX22 back to Taurus for repairs. When I received the gun back after a month, It had even worse reliability. I sent it in again, received it back in about a week and they finally got it right.

[@SaintBrianTheGodless]

I refused to buy a Taurus for years but finally relented a few months ago. I had been searching for a truly reliable .22lr pistol. I'd tried a couple of Rugers and some others, but it seemed that it was the nature of the round that made it inherently unreliable. Well, I'd about given up when I saw videos for the Taurus TX22. Supposedly it 'ate everything' and kept on chugging. I then saw that they made a TX22 Competition SCR model that was even more reliable than the plain model. I purchased one of those, and let me tell you, it's a fantastic pistol that indeed 'eats everything." I don't like red dot sights, so I bought a small insert from the factory that replaced the red dot optics mount plate, making it look more like a Beretta M9. What a pistol!!!

[@GunSam]

I have debated getting one myself. I want to get into better .22 LR ballistic testing and like how it can be had in the flat dark earth frame.

[@CarolinaRimfire]

I've owned a handful of Taurus revolvers, and I've had problems with only one of them. It's a shame Taurus isn't better on QC... The 85/856 and 605 have some great features.

[@taasch2505]

It's likely the time of purchase. Everyone, Taurus, S&W, Beretta, they all have been having problems since the coof. The QC will likely improve when their profit margins that took a huge dip correct themselves. Heck S&W has brand new j frames with the finishes peeling off after a few weeks of ownership for some folks and some got damaged grips or damaged forcing cones atm. The issue is the whole nation is just understaffed and the economy is in the gutter.

[@CarolinaRimfire]

@@taasch2505 That's a great point! I've never had trouble with any of my S&Ws, but I've heard their QC and their customer service has gone downhill recently. Ruger still has a pretty good reputation, thankfully.

[@terrybarnes0712]

i Had to send my Taurus 856 back for repair it was miss firing during Double action they Replaced the cylinder now it works great

[@nelsonrodriguezjr1388]

I had the same exact problem with my Taurus 856 and I only put less then 300 hundred rounds through it. Finally I got rid of it.

[@adamb2619]

I had a similar frame out of spec with the exact same cylinder rotating issue. This was during the pandemic and they were pretty decent through it all. I returned it back to my original dealer and no other transfer fee was needed, but had to go through the whole background process again. Been extremely happy with it ever since. They did destroy the old frame. People often say that revolvers are simple, but there is actually alot that goes into them.

[@nickboutin857]

After watching many of your videos I finally chose my first revolver. I almost went with taurus for price..... instead I got the ruger gp100 4.2".

[@randalljeffs7272]

Mirrors my experience with Taurus

[@paule1983]

Same deal with my Taurus revolvers, picked up a used sp101 for 350, ab 15yrs ago, 2 1/4" 357, I will never go back to Taurus for a wheel gun, just sayen.

[@TennesseeFrank]

I had thought about getting an 856 but the issues you and others had made me back out of getting one. Instead I picked up a S&W 442 since it'll work with the same holsters that I have for my 351c and the speedloaders I have for the S&W Bodyguard 38 that I sold. Awesome to see someone else into revolvers like I am.

[@GunSam]

Shot the newer Bodyguard 38 before. Reminded me of the LCR

[@alabamasmokeywilson6818]

I bought a Taurus PT22 on an impulse. Piece of crap. Sent it back. Traded it in on a nice H&R .32 long. Last Taurus and last semi auto. Wheel guns only from now on.

[@AeolusIICB]

@@GunSam I may have missed you T&E the Bodyguard .38 polymer revolver. Is that coming up or do you have a link to your testing it?

[@LA_Commander]

442 was a terrific choice. Get a spring kit for it and some Hogue grips and you will have a keeper. Those are great, very reliable guns.

[@paulkleinkramer5065]

That's Smith & Wesson Airweight 442 is going to serve you well. In my experience, it's at the top of the snubby heap...

[@terrywisham9228]

That’s why I like your channel you hold gun&ammo mfg accountable thanks man keep up the good work

[@randycchavez]

Indeed, that's what attracted me to his channel. His ability to be unbiased, good bad or otherwise, even if it's a "big name" mfg in the gun industry.

[@Wildwestwrangler]

My Taurus 608 8 shot 357 Magnum is nothing but perfection and they trigger is slick as can be, but its huge with a 6.5 inch barrel and I can shoot it on the bench for 1 inch groups at 25 yards

[@123andme]

I always put a few drops of oil in all my guns out of the box. I find it works to get rid of some of the pre box gremlins.

[@jimmyjoe4488]

So far, so good with my 856 snub and my 4" Model 66. That said, I rely more on my Ruger SP101 snub and my newly purchased Ruger GP100 four inch 7 shot.

[@NoNeedForSensorsOnYouTube]

I have the SP101 .357 in 3". Love it!

[@paulkleinkramer5065]

I have an SP101 3 inch barrel in 357 Magnum and love that gun! It's always a favorite among my friends and family members at the shooting range too. I bought it several years ago with the intention of carrying it, but it turned out to be just too darn heavy. As far as snubbies go, I have shot them all and carried most. In my opinion you can't do better than a 38 Special Smith & Wesson Airweight with a bobbed or concealed hammer.

[@donsettie3799]

I have owned 4 tauri. Two had to go back to the factory immediately. No more.

[@Wildwestwrangler]

Got a snubby 856 and it's stupidly accurate and flawless so far.

[@Wildwestwrangler]

I paid 319.99, and I can keep all 6 smaller than a poker card at 15 yards.

[@Wildwestwrangler]

I shoot mine about 100rds a month. I'd be comfortable on a silhouette at 25 yards.

[@mikelivingston6157]

I would send that one back. Like you said you don’t need it. Tell them you will keep making videos until they send a quality product lol. (That may make a lot of videos) haha

[@LarryeWhite61]

WOW, an FFL fee of $65.00. Outrageous!!! I've never been charged more than $25.00

[@GunSam]

This is a store I been going to for a long time and it's close. Has always been something like $40 but all the sudden it's now $65

[@LarryeWhite61]

@@GunSam crazy

[@davidford1564]

​@@GunSamTaurus wouldn't ship the replacement to you?

[@shootsouthpaw7771]

Going through the same hell with my 605 Toro. Loaded it with laser training cartridges and it was off @ 5yds. Was concerned a live round might not make it down the barrel. Sent it to Taurus and they gave me the same frame out of spec story. They sent me a replacement and same thing. Now they say I'm waiting for a new cylinder. So I'm 4 months in, got 2 lemons, waiting for it to be sent back to me and never fired a live round yet. Fun stuff.

[@randyrush9856]

I've had no problems with my 856 ultra-lite, or my SS Judge, and my PT-99 is one of my favorite target pistols.

[@daleweller5193]

With the cylinder drag check for soft primers dragging on the back plate.

[@sunjaekim13]

my 3" cerakote 856 have been great so far at least. Thank you for making these honest videos!

[@noahmercy-mann4323]

The most accurate short-barrel revolvers I've shot have been the Ruger SP101s. The 3 1/16" 357 Magnum is capable of bragging groups at 25 yards, and keeping all five in the scoring zone of a full size B27 Silhouette target is no problem at 100 yards. The 327 Federal is just as good in the little Ruger. I sent so many Tauri back to the factory for repair/replacement when I managed a large sporting goods department that I swore off of them. A lot of folks swear by them, and a lot swear AT them!

[@alabamasmokeywilson6818]

I'll stick with my SP101

[@exothermal.sprocket]

26oz or more is an appropriate weight for the magnums. Stuff around 20oz or less just smacks the hand too much.

[@paulkleinkramer5065]

I have a 24" steel going out at 116 yards on my range. I can ring that gong reliably with my Smith & Wesson Airweight 1-7/8", my Ruger SP101 3", my Taurus m605 2", my Kahr 9 mm, even my Ruger LCP in 380 auto. I find that the sights, and in particular the contrast of the front sight, is much more important than the particular gun or caliber, when shooting handguns at long distance.

[@paulkleinkramer5065]

I should add that I just passed my 60th birthday and wearing quality trifocal prescription glasses is also very critical to successful long distance shooting with simple gutter sights.

[@exothermal.sprocket]

@@paulkleinkramer5065 If you can detect minute motion of the sights on a very short radius and execute a superb trigger break, there's no reason you shouldn't be able to hit something at distance. Most snubs have very insubstantial sights, and that's for a reason, but it doesn't aid in longer shots at all.

[@keythsmith7924]

I know that every one has a different experience with all type of gun manufactures, but the two revolvers i have from Taurus works great.

[@myrtlelittle4130]

Thumbs up! Taurus used to manufacture for S&W. I bought a Rossi M38 3" stainless J Frame for $80. Perfect gun.

[@seniorp9444]

I love your channel and I’m looking for another revolver but have learned the hard way stick with American gun makers. Colt, S&W, and Ruger make lemons sometimes too but the difference is you can usually get them fixed and always find a buyer at a good price if you decide to trade it.

[@johnnymccann5607]

maybe I'm blessed in the last 4 years I added seven Taurus products to my collection. a tracker 44 mag, two g2 c 9 mm, two 605 defenders, pt845 in45 acp, a 380 spectrum. so far a working flawlessly with my reloads as I don't shoot much factory ammo.i thought about another g2c a few weeks ago. They do everything my my more expensive pistols/ revolvers do. sorry about the bad costumer service. papa wishing you well.

[@Sirgromulus]

I own two Taurus handguns, one being a 2" stainless steel model 85 .38 special that I purchased some 35+ years ago when the model first came out. It has been an excellent revolver for me I also purchased a model 92 9mm (Beretta clone) when it first came out back then as well. A friend had one and it was flawless and very accurate. Unfortunately mine exhibited many failures (to feed and eject). I promptly got rid of it. I just purchased a TX 22 competition model and hope it lives up to the hype. I am leery of any Taurus however, particularly for self defense.

[@LA_Commander]

I also owned a Taurus 85 and it was a very reliable revolver. I considered it almost on a par with a J frame.

[@ratagris21]

Glad you got a replacement. I would do a thorough cleaning and lubrication. The few revolvers that I have purchased new and used have been reliable especially my 856 in 3 in barrel. Shot it at close distance, medium distance, and at 75 feet the longest the in door range has. Seemed to shot accurately.

[@mokgable]

I have the wood grip with the tungsten cerekote finish on my 856 and it is my favorite carry gun. When he showed that Cylinder lockup on his first one I knew he had a lemon. My Cylinder had no issues at all but it does suck that they are still pushing these lemons out there with the lifetime warranty....

[@jtns2845]

excellent and comprehensive video. my 1985 taurus 85 was, and remains, excellent. 30 years later i got a second, newer generation, taurus 85, which shoots ok but feels less solid and sure, if this description makes sense. a 38sp revolver remains the best defensive sidearm for most “normal” folks. the only problem with a revolver is that a failure is usually catastrophic and requires factory service to correct. it’s really too bad that taurus fell down here.

[@mdhargis]

Thanks for the video and info. I have the same problem. My 856 UL shot fine for the first 50rds but then started not rotating the cylinder in DA. However it was fine in SA. So I sent it in, which was a pain and cost $50. Horrible IMO compared to S&W. Taurus sent it back stating they shot 18rds through it with no issues. My gut feeling was they shot it all in SA because dry firing it immediately upon return it was evident the problem was not fixed. I took it to a local gunsmith who agreed to look at it even though all gunsmiths around me refuse to work on Taurus products. The smith believes the hand to cylinder specs were off. Unfortunately I dont want to drop anymore $$ at this problem or call Taurus again. So I basically have a SA revolver only. Again thanks for the review.

[@robertonavarro7713]

My Model 85 broke twice. Got tired sending it back to Taurus. Got myself a Charter Arms Undercover yesterday. Hope it will be reliable.

[@codyironworks307]

I've run about 400round through mine with no issues carry it every day

[@williamwalker1290]

It has been my experience with Taurus revolvers that if there is going to be an issue it tends to happen early within the first 50-100 rounds. If it last past that they tend to be pretty good guns. I have the 3” 856 and it’s great. I have 500 problem free rounds through it. I also own 3 85s, 2 605s, 2 Judges, 2 older 66s and a M44 Talo. I ride them all hard when I first get them and they have been really good guns. I have watched enough videos to know that there is some QC issues at Taurus but if you get a good one you are good to go.

[@bgro555]

i've got a 856 and its my scary looking trunk gun. Also got a ruger 38 snubbie concealed hammer for the pocket and a 35 yr. old Charter arms snubbie for the bedroom gun. It's got a bobbed hammer and the trigger and rotation is like silk. It shoots truer than the 2 newer 38's. I wish my new ruger lcr came with the same houge grip as my old gun,where you could get three fingers on it, but it shoots well and you cant have everything. I gotta say the ruger is lighter and conceals better too. Keep up the good work, Gun Sam!

[@justusupnorth8262]

Bummer to hear about your negative experiences with the 856,3inch. I have one going on 2 years now, no problems so far. It shoots as good as I am able.😂

[@won8135]

I feel your pain Sam. My 1st 605 broke before I ever fired a round, returned. My spectrum trigger went at 90 rounds fired, fixed but I've never used it again. My gx4 had the sear snap off twice in under 500 rounds. Threw it in a drawer, no reason to fix a second time as I lost confidence in that 1 too. My G3 was best of bunch, lasted 2000 rounds when the trigger went. Warranty fixed but into the drawer it went. So I'm 0 for 4 and done with those guys. Pathetic. I now carry a glock 42 or Canik SC. Never a hitch, go figure.

[@joeljoss1916]

Taurus should realize the importance of customer service. Until I saw this video, I intended to get one of their 3" revolvers. The time you spent returning your purchase, I'll spend saving up to buy a Smith. Thanks for your video.

[@Predalien195]

Been following your journey with this one closely. Namely because the issues you've had just haven't been something I've seen with the numerous examples we've sold at my work but also has not been an issue with one we keep for rental. It's overall a fairly low round count gun as it doesn't get as much time compared to modern 9mm's but we've logged at least 800 rounds through it. I've personally shot a few other examples a few hundred times and they've all been solid. I own 2 Taurus revolvers currently but have owned quite a few more. None of them were ever defective though. I was always weary of buying one initially because all the negative reviews people give them and was concerned their reputation would bite me in the butt for chancing it with them. But honestly, I've been blessed thus far. I've truly seen more problems out o S&W revolvers in the last 6 years than Taurus. Still, when issues like these pop up they need to be addressed and shown and I'm glad you have documented this whole affair. While I ultimately believe videos like these are a good example of the worst case scenarios or if you do end up with a bad gun the potential hassles you may face, I still don't see that as the norm however. Hopefully all works out in the end.

[@GunSam]

That's interesting, I cannot say my results are typical, but as of this date I have owned 4 Taurus revolvers, 3 were junk. Two broke off transfer bars, first one was a model 94 revolver -broke transfer bar, Taurus takes in on warranty -again says "it's out of spec", sends a replacement...transfer bar on replacement breaks immediately. My 605 was fine, 856 not so much. So I have a personal 25% success rate with Taurus. For me personally I have owed about a dozen S&W's. Zero problems, literally zero. And I shoot a lot.

[@Predalien195]

@@GunSam While I'd say you shoot more often than I do I am still a fairly high volume shooter with all my firearms. Guns were made to be shot so I do. I had a S&W 629 Performance Center with the 4 inch barrel and a V Comp Brake. I think they discontinued those. I don't recall noticing anything off about the gun when I'd taken it out the box initially, but before I fired I noticed the front sight was way off. It wasn't bent, but rather the barrel was crooked and out of alignment. S&W told me that my sight was just canted, I told them otherwise. They took it back, about 2 months later I got it back. Began firing some Fiocchi 240gr JSP, a rather mild factory load. Around 30 rounds later the barrel was coming loose and was out of alignment. I gave that piece of defective crap back to them and told them to keep it. Got a refund from the dealer I bought it at and swore them off for a bit. Friend of mine a few months later got a .460 S&W with a standard 8 inch barrel or whichever it is. Not even 100 rounds down the gun, most of which were .45 Colts and few .454's with maybe 6 or 7 shots of .460, the cylinder went completely out of timing and the trigger broke. Seems S&W was having problems with those big frame revolvers like that during that time. He however didn't want to see if it would be fixed and sold it as is to somebody for cheap. But even at my job I've had multiple 642's break under normal firing conditions with issues ranging from timing problems to triggers and transfer bars. A few of their Bodyguards have crapped the bed too. I just don't hold them in high regard. Still, if you've have the success rate with Taurus as you say I simply don't blame you. I know people who've had issues out of various companies and they write them off as a result. It happens, it's unfortunate, but it's why we have options and choices.

[@randallupton3622]

Sorry to hear you are still having issues with the Taurus. 5-6 months ago picked up a 856 Defender in desert tan [distributer special model]. It has worked fine I’ve put about 3-400 rounds though it. Added the front night sight and a Galloway Precision spring kit. Again works fine. I rarely shoot at over 15 yards with most handguns. For me if I want to know where a handgun is shooting I go with paper targets. Have to mark each hit after every cylinder or magazine otherwise it is just a jumble. I enjoy your work/videos.

[@mikeellis4158]

Most fixed sight 38/357 were sighted at the factory for a 6 o'clock hold with a 158 grain bullet. As for your problem ,i had a mdl 66 4" for security work. If i tried pulling the trigger to fast ,the trigger would bind up till i slowed down. But after awhile it stopped doing it. So i figured it just had to break itself in.

[@gregorystatt5562]

I just recently got my 856 back from Taurus for the 3rd time. It had light primer strikes on all 5 different kinds of .38 I used. All factory ammo. First time they said no problems. Second time, they "adjusted the cylinder axis " and that made it not only have light primer strikes but now cylinder would not rotate properly. They now say they replaced the firing pin and I had no problems with over 50 rounds of the same various ammo. I spent alot of ammo, time and frustration with this gun and it may work just fine for the rest of its time with me (Which will soon be short lived) but, I will never trust my life with it or Taurus in general simply because they don't listen to you because they say their "senior gunsmith " says it's good. They might be a good close quarters defensive gun but after 12 ft, better off just throwing it at the attacker. No Tracker .44 No .357 just not for me. Like I've been told before, save your money and buy a Smith or stick with my Rugers which all work just fine and are reasonably priced.

[@roadking681]

Screws always come loose on all revolvers its a normal thing especially with magnum loads u just have to tighten your screws after every range trip. I always tighten my screws on my S&W revolvers and my Colt 1911's after every range trip. My buddy has that same gun u have there and he loves it, I shot it and liked it alot. Taurus always made good revolvers back in the 80's and 90's and in the early 2000's something happen to their quality and in the mid 2000's they started to evolve again making good guns.

[@gus9376]

My Taurus 856 2 Inch, right out of the box , the trigger would bind up on it . I sent it back and they said they couldn't fix it and they gave me a new one . The new one has worked ok .

[@tominnorcal]

I’ve had problems with a few Taurus firearms also. Thanks for your honest review.

[@STLSNIPER]

My brother has a 454 and 357 Taurus Tracker he bought new. Both of them shoot extremely high and to the left; Even bench resting. Taurus told him they will shoot better after breaking them in. That has been over a year ago; And they still shoot like crap.

[@jbp6759]

I have a new SP101 on its way back to Ruger for slow timing. The fit and finish is also crap (hammer isn't centered, gutter sight is ugly as sin). It may shoot to the right but I didn't shoot it enough to say for certain that is the gun and not me that day. I've heard horror stories with S&W lately too. I think Taurus has upped their game significantly but all manufacturers are on the struggle bus right now. My GP100 I bought in 2015 has terrible fit and finish also (so that may just be a Ruger thing) but it runs smooth as butter with 0 problems after thousands of rounds. I have a 2" 856 I bought last year with flawless fit and finish (it looks perfect) which has a great trigger and shoots incredibly accurate. However, I had to file the side of the front sight to get it to shoot where I want. I have a long way to go to get the 856 to the round count I have in my GP100 though. So time will tell if it's truly a great revolver. Unfortunately nothing is perfect and I think that's all the more true with modern revolvers because they require human skill in the manufacturing process, and sadly craftsmanship is dead. But thankfully with luck or persistence you can still get great ones. :)

[@bruceliggett8036]

No way in hell I’d ever trust my life with ANY Taurus product. Great video Sir!

[@ruger338magnum]

65.00 transfer fee. Wow. Where I live in southern Missouri my local guys charge 20.00.

[@andrewfournier8817]

That sucks. I bought a Raging Bull .454 over 20 years ago. It's been absolutely perfect every day since. I wouldn't shy away from another Taurus revolver based on my experience.

[@HenryL161947]

Thx for the video. Was going to buy a taurus revolver ordered. Changed my mind at the lasr minute bought ruger LCR 327 great gun very accurate like the round flexibility also thx again

[@davidr.5749]

I GUESS I GOT LUCKY WHEN BUYING MY 617 STAINLESS 7-SHOT 357-MAG REVOLVER YEARS AGO. IT'S STILL GOING STRONG WITH OUT ANY PROBLEMS WHAT SO EVER...

[@petertorque]

I own 2 Taurus revolvers. A 605 and a 627 tracker 6.5 inch barrel. The 605 does about as well as my j frame. And only slightly worse than my LCR for accuracy. But the 627 is a tack driver. I’m more accurate with it than my 686 plus. Those two are the only Taurus products that I own. I know about the sketchy QC. I checked them out thoroughly before purchasing. I guess I got a couple of good ones. Thanks for the great content, fellow Michigander.

[@geraldshrewsbury3121]

Same for Charter Arms. Good design, spotty execution lately. Their quality control/assurance needs some real work.

[@GunSam]

I will buy one some day and try one out. For a revolver guy, never firing an American made gun from a company that only makes revolvers is a shame. Sort of like the opposite of Hipoint lol.

[@dumpsterchicken6287]

I have an 856 2 in barrel. I quit carrying it the first time you sent yours back, and they did nothing. I haven't shot it since, think I'll sell it. I bought an EAA Windicator 357, 2 in barrel, and I love it. It's my EDC. It is heavier, and recoil is not bad, even shooting 357. It seems more accurate, but that could be me. Way better quality IMHO.

[@jaydee5156]

I own two of the 3" 856 and a 3" 605. Not a single problem with any of them.

[@randycchavez]

I had the same cylinder not rotating issue on my 605 3"..had to send it back twice. To Taurus' credit they made repairs to both and covered everything but still..ugh. It shoots fine now and I actually have grown to like shooting both my 605 3" and 605 Poly 2" but they're no S&W. I do agree with you, for 5~10yrds max. That's fine enough for me on these lower end revolvers.

[@CampDavid54]

One gets what one pays for Thanks for sharing

[@mrredritehand]

One gets what one can afford lol. Two should understand two times the price, doesn't equate to twice as nice

[@williamwalker1290]

@@mrredritehandabsolutely true I bought a new S&W Shield 45 that was not milled correctly and it took sending it back to Smith & Wesson twice to get them to replace the slide.

[@bigracer3867]

Sorry you had that much issue. Why I don’t mess with revolvers anymore. No one can put one together anymore. No trained employees. Even a BIG company! Sad to say the least. Definitely won’t wast money on a Taurus , charter arms and their ilk. Same for scopes. Just the world we live in. 👊🏻 wish you and yours a great holiday!!!

[@GunSam]

Thanks you too. I would say, if I had to pick a couple that are still done right one would be the sleeved barrel S&W's as those are hard to mess up, and the Ruger LCR's as the tolerances are loose and they work well. The older school twist on barrel type like this 856 or the older S&W's might have issues. And that's an interesting note. My Taurus 605 is essentially the 856, but 5 shot .357 Mag and the internal sleeved barrel and shoots dead on, the 856 is the older style twist on barrel and shoots all over the place.

[@mlindsay527]

Well, at least it fires. Put the factory sight back on, load up several cylinders, 6 rounds of the same weight/velocity at a time and shoot them from a rested position, no gloves. See if it likes one of them, if not, pick the one you think you will shoot the most and SLOWLY file the front sight on the correct side, or top, until POI matches POA. I know you can shoot offhand very well, just try to eliminate every variable. Also know you are frustrated with it at this point, but I think if you spend a little time on it, you can make it a great shooter. Bought a new SP101 a few years ago that was a hot mess. Spent some time on it and now it is a good shooter, learned a good bit along the way as well! Good luck, I appreciate your videos!

[@frankhinkle5772]

I shoot a S&W Model 65 3" revolver. This was the same gun as issued to DEA, while the FBI issued the blue steel Model 13 3". Anything needing to be shot, this gun can do. I had high hopes for your Taurus. I wanted to recommend. Others on KZbin rave about the 856, but you now have two that don't cut it. What a disappointment. Good unboxing.

[@lettherebereason]

Prior reviewers have noted that you have to ignore the night sight portion to the front sight and line the top of the front sight up with the top of the back sights. Otherwise, the gun shoots high. Also I purchased an new Detective Special many years ago that had a similar timing problem. Only difference is Colt admitted the problem and fixed it on the first return. Taurus did the same thing to me on an auto many years ago.

[@GunSam]

I have tried the plain black sight that comes with it. Still shoots high

[@scubaguy007]

Sorry to hear it's still not shooting close to point of aim, and this is your second gun from them. That would be my biggest concern with buying another Taurus 856, sure they can take it back and fix all the bad parts that are in it, but if it ain't shooting straight, it ain't shooting straight. Mine all shoot fine and close to point of aim, but I've only shot them at 20 feet or less. That's my "is it a carry gun" qualifier. That said I almost always carry my Glock 19 which I shoot very well and can hit a water jug at 50 yards no sweat. I do hope you will get lots of fun out of this new one. I must say I cringed hard at the $65 fee. Taurus should give you a rebate for that. It's their screw up after all. Nevertheless, Merry Christmas Sam and have a safe and happy 2023!

[@GunSam]

Thank you, Merry Christmas

[@bobcatforever3485]

Good video. Thanks for sharing. I have Taurus 692 .357 and it has a very hard double action trigger pull. Take care.

[@GunSam]

Thanks for watching, take care.

[@emwaver]

I was just thinking about getting the 856 but now not sure. The 605 was my first gun 15 years ago, it got stuck with live bullets in so had to soak in oil then send back but it was reliable after. Sam, Do you think a laser boresighter would aim where the bullets will go in this gun?

[@johnnymccann5607]

HIIT wrong button.in the last four years I bought seven Taurus products. one tracker 44 mag,two g2c, one pt845,two 605 in 357, one spectrum 380, . so far all work flawlessly.the 357 magnums bought a few weeks ago and only shot less than 50 rounds through both and worked fine.ordered brass and bullets forth and has arrived.so soon I'll take them out and prove them. all firearms manufacturers have some leave out with less quality, it just happens same as cars and trucks. I don't mean those companies are bad ,iit a quality control issue. papa

[@erolkavlakverizon6112]

I have several Taurus snubby revolvers. I only.had an issue with a 4" barrel 66.the ejector rod came loose and prevented the cylinder from opening..blue loc-tite and working fine..their millennium 9mm was a pos..but later semi-autos seem to work fine..keep them clean

[@GunSam]

Same with my 605 and the rod. Problem was now I got some accidentally dripping down further lol. Have to press extra hard on the cylinder release to open it, which isn't a bad thing in a way as with any real strength (life or death struggle) it will open, but unlikely to open by a slight bump.

[@glennsammon4465]

I love revolvers. have quite a few, use them, have 6 Taurus in the bunch. 3 work, 3 went back, they had them each for 4 months, and they came back the same way I sent them. the firing pin sometimes does not retract, so when the transfer bar comes up to hit it, it is now there, it is still sticking out. so I get a click instead of boom. even read an article on the new Executive 856. and the reviewer had the sideplate screws backing out. I will stick with my Colt and Smith&Wessons.

[@GunSam]

Sounds about right. I seem to get about a 50% success rate on whether a Taurus revolver is okay, or junk. My 605 is decent, but I also had to locktite some internals and the yoke screw is a S&W J-Frame screw as the Taurus one crumbled and they do not offer parts. I was surprised that the thread pattern was identical.

[@cliffhouser9138]

I have several Taurus firearms. I have only had problems with my 905 9mm revolver. I was getting light primer strikes. I sent it back to Taurus 4 times and they finally fixed it. The 3rd time I sent it in, I decided to buy a Smith and Wesson 986 Performance Center 9mm revolver that worked. I had to send it back to Smith and Wesson for light primer strikes. It looks like quality control is lacking in all brands.

[@GunSam]

If all this happened around 2020 to early 2022, I might suggest that ammo could have been in play. A lot of companies were loading up pistol rounds with rifle primers, and while they work for small pistol/rifle interchanging, the cups are hard and many handguns had trouble with them. I could definitely see this happing on that S&W as it's pretty well tuned for competition.

[@lutherpayne9957]

Nice presentation. I bet there is something funky with the front sight. I'm not so sure a spray and pray revolver is something I would keep. Cheers.

[@fortj3]

Every Taurus sidearm I ever owned was from the 1990s except for one. Over the years I’ve owned 8 Taurus revolvers and 3 Taurus semiautos. I never had a single issue with any of them. However, all of them were made between 1991 and 1999, except for a Judge that was made 2006-2007. I sold them all off over the years, but all were 100% reliable and accurate. Of course, they were all from a different era. Given the problems you’ve had with 2 in a row, I think I’ll pass on their newer offerings. They need to bring back the model 85 and the models 431 & 441.

[@robrobbins4906]

My 856 shoots perfect. Hope you get yours figured out.

[@SWMissouriOutdoors]

I got the 856 Defender. The front sight is tritium, not just fiber optic. I have had good luck with mine. Great for my purpose of CC, and close range. Hope this one works out for you. On the POI, I agree it's not correct, but consistently slightly high left for yours, and for the flyers I may consider the randomness of the reloads, and bullet types and weights. Glad I got a good one. My older Taurus 669 is much better quality though.

[@northernninety7]

I owned a Taurus 85 several years ago. It was my first handgun. I hated it. The trigger was so awfully heavy that I couldn’t pull it very quickly without short-stroking it. It made me swear off revolvers. Then I got a S&W and realized that revolvers are amazing. So now I swear off Taurus. Ymmv.

[@joelclark2130]

Scrap it, run while you can. Any gun company that strings me along for 10 months. I will never speak your name again.

[@jjsifo1]

And that is a 50 year old problem with Taurus, back in the mid 70's I purchased several semi autos from them , I returned every single one , feeding problems. A few months ago I decided to try their revolvers, purchased a 65 in .357 mag then read about transfer bar breaking in them so put it away. Now had in mind an 856 but apparently they are still no good. Will stick with S&W .

[@elijahbrooks8589]

I put a lot of 38 through my 85ch. Around 18 lbs off spent bras when I recycled it. Wish I’d have kept it.

[@FlightRisk1516]

After your initial nightmare with the 3" 856, I vowed I wouldn't add to my 856UL and 605 snubs. BUT, I came across a TALO Edition (graphite/tungsten, bobbed hammer spur and VZ grips) swapped the grips for Hogues, swapped the tritium sight for the ramp and I'm very happy with my purchase; so much so that it's my EDC. 600 or so rounds through it; 148 gr wadcutters, 158 gr LRN, 110 gr SJHP, all go where I want them to. Lucky me! All my Tauruses have been pleasant surprises. Haven't needed customer service, yet. Issues with a 642 and SP101 tell Ruger has the best CS, followed by S&W.

[@GunSam]

I have had to use Ruger CS once and S&W once. Ruger was nice, prompt. S&W took a month and never said anything, never gave updates like I got from Ruger. Both times were situations where I got a part out of alignment in one way or another and couldn't reassemble, as I do like to deep clean my guns.

[@FlightRisk1516]

@@GunSam Nothing to do with this latest, excellent video, but just thought I'd mention (as they are attached to Taurus) the trigger spring went on my Barkeep (bought after seeing your video on it) after 200 or so rounds. Called Heritage and received a free trigger spring ten days later. Looks like CS may be hit or miss with this company.

[@Fudmottin]

I hope this new one works out for you. How does it compare in size to a S&W K-Frame like the 66-8? I can't see myself pocket carrying something that large. It's fine on the belt. The J-Frame is just easier. Obviously you give up a round which is pretty significant. The 66-8 is also about double the weight of the M&P 340. That's also not far off from the 642/442 which I think are at the top of S&W's sellers list for revolvers.

[@GunSam]

I would say it's closer to a J-frame than a K-frame. Basically the same frame as my 605 which if I recall was the same size as the S&W 342 I had.

[@Fudmottin]

@@GunSam So if their QC was on par with S&W, it could be a J-Frame killer, maybe? 20% more fire power is no joke.

[@GunSam]

@@Fudmottin you have a hell of a marketing slogan for that double barreled shotgun 😆

[@Fudmottin]

@@GunSam If I was more of a shotgun aficionado, a double barreled shotgun (coach gun) is absolutely something I would have. Maybe I should get one anyway if they are cheap enough.

[@GunSam]

I have always wanted one because they just seem very cool. I never fired one, but it sounds like fun.

[@oldcop18]

Thanks for another heads-up about Taurus revolvers, believe I’ll stick w/my S&W revolvers.

[@GunSam]

Thanks for watching.

[@johnplaid648]

There is a video about a person who bought a new S&W .357 and the barrel was canted. S&W gave him the runaround.

[@nonetoobright4158]

I had one. Just couldn't hit with it. No idea why. Sold it.

[@badbilly60]

had a new tauras 942m sent in and they said bad frame and sent me a new one,came in to my local gun store and traded for a tauras g 3c happy now lol

[@cdlund2840]

My S&W 642 fell apart after 3500 rounds and in less than 4 years and S&W claimed it was "normal wear and tear" and would do nothing. Taurus is not the only company making lemons and at least they somewhat stand behind their guns unlike S&W.

[@dalevalenti6552]

I have the 2 inch version of this pistol and have fired at least a thousand rounds through it. Mine shoots 2 inches to the left and 4 down consistently no matter what ammo I use. I train with targets with 9 circular areas, 6 inches across and a 1 inch center dot. At 8 yards in the range I can get all 6 in the circle but never with a grouping that I like. If I use my 2 inch Colt Agent Special from 1985 I can hit that center dot at least half the time. I bought the 856 so I could retire my Colt, it's to pricey now to carry. Good plan but the 856 is not as precise a gun as my almost 40 year old gun.

[@ElainesDomain]

That's too bad. I'd sell it. As an aside. Many of the new gun owners of the last 2 years bought revolvers. The reason is the same as my daughters. No racking. No trying to clear a jam. She's the same age as a Sam and is a good shot. She now has 2 revolvers for home defense. Crime talked her into it. A Smith 686 4'' barrel upstairs and a Ruger SP 101 2'' barrel downstairs. Good video. Thanks and Happy Taurus Free New Year.

[@bodasactra]

Taurus is like how you use a budget Walmart wrench in a pinch when your Mac Tools are unavailable, it gets the job done but it will strip out under prolonged use.

[@patrickbolthouse7354]

There is no such thing as a minor issue with a firearm. You don't live forever so quit wasting the time you got.

[@adamlong54]

Taurus makes great firearms never had an issue with mine. No matter the brand I smith all my guns to tack driver accurate

[@mikewhite7462]

I ordered this revolver. Trigger pull is very heavy. I ordered a trigger upgrade before I even take this to the range. Wish Tarus had better triggers because they make a good revolver. Really, two springs.

[@paulscountry456]

Thanks, I never wanted anything from that company and this reinforces my choice......

[@crusiethmaximuss]

Great advice for first time buyers. I'd send that revolver to a local gunsmith to see if the barrel and sights are even in alignment... So unfortunate...

[@paulkleinkramer5065]

I have owned a Taurus M605 for around 5 years and shot about 1,000 rounds of .38 Special and about 200 rounds of .357 Magnum through it with no trouble at all. That being said, it's a steel gun, not alloy like you're 856. It's a five shot cylinder, not six shot like you're 856. This is to say, it's an entirely different firearm. I've owned 2 other Taurus guns, one a compact .45 ACP semiauto pistols and the other a .45 Long Colt single action army clone. Both were plagued with issues from the start. Taurus treated me with about the same attitude laced dog and pony show that you got. A quick Google search on the Taurus 856 showed me that you are not the only one with this cylinder rotation problem. It has happened to others. The rubber really meets the road in the firearms industry where customer services is involved. Ruger and Smith & Wesson absolutely shine. I'm sure there are others that shine as well. Taurus not so much...

[@GunSam]

My 856 is a steel gun as are most of the 856's. There are versions of the 856 called the ultra-lite, but mine is the classic steel version. I have a 605 and did some measurements, essentially identical frame as the 856 but the 856 has a thicker top strap for some weird reason, measured like 2.06" if I recall as where the 605 was 2.00".

[@paulkleinkramer5065]

@@GunSam Thanks for the clarification. I should not have assumed that your Taurus 856 was the alloy frame variant. That being said, the alloy frame, ultra lite, concealed hammer, six shot Taurus 856 has peaked my interest. I'd love to see your test shots and hear your opinion of that one! Particularly since I'm in California and it's one of the rare birds that is on the ridiculous California DOJ Roster of Not Unsafe Handguns.

[@timbo749]

I just bought an 856, the cylinder does free spin, i took it out to the range and and put over 100 rounds through it, wadcutters, HST +P, Punch+p and underwood +p Speer bullets, slow staging the trigger, only putting a couple rounds in, and not one hiccup, what do you think?, and if this a design flaw why isn't everybody on the internet making videos about it and campaigning against Taurus? and is taking it to a Smith an option?

[@GunSam]

I had a person more knowledgeable than me chime in about how they are made, why the internal design means that if the frame is off spec just a tad, it won't rotate. Interestingly enough, when Taurus replaced mine, the reason was the "frame was out of spec". I supposed a gunsmith could put a larger hand in the gun to turn the ratchet, but I don't know enough about the design to know if that would work, or if it would just bind it up more.

[@rpbajb]

It's not just Taurus. I've had to send back a Kahr PM9 and a Smith Performance Center 945.

[@gregmason2775]

Great video, any chance on the Executive Grade model. I really like the looks of that revolver?

[@GunSam]

Probably not lol. Maybe a 3" 905 at some point, as those are new

[@ajopasoij9d00]

That's why I got the 4" 66, adjustable sights :)

[@chubbyjohnson5480]

I unboxed my Taurus 856 Defender in Tungsten Ceracote, last Friday. I immediately noticed it had a crooked barrel. Canted to the left. We'll see what happens. I should have stuck with Ruger.